This double-CD set is the optimum way to hear the material concerned, although it offers nothing near the revelation that WHEELS OF FIRE, from the same 2013 reissue series, was. That's understandable, as the recording facilities and circumstances for the Cream's 1966 debut FRESH CREAM were, undoubtedly, more limited and more rushed than the work on their magnum opus double-LP two years later -- fresh remastering or not, even with high-resolution cutting, there's just not a huge amount to add to what we've known on these sides on past releases and reissues.

The sound is still superb, ESPECIALLY on the mono disc -- on the stereo mix, there's great resolution, but anyone expecting the kind of detail revealed in the high-resolution remastering of DISRAELI GEARS or WHEELS OF FIRE will be a little disappointed. The specific mono vs. stereo virtues I'll leave to someone else to analyze -- but the mono mix has real PUNCH through my sound system (and me) when I listen to it, in ways that the stereo version does not. The artwork is handsome, and the bonus tracks add some extra depth (or breadth) to the proceedings.

Fresh Cream is Cream's December 1966 debut album. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label. It reached number 6 in the UK in February 1967 and - eventually - number 39 in the US in August 1968. The British version omitted "I Feel Free" (then their current single), while the US version contained it, though it dropped "Spoonful".

Fresh Cream represents so many different firsts, it's difficult to keep count. Cream, of course, was the first supergroup, but their first album not only gave birth to the power trio, it also was instrumental in the birth of heavy metal and the birth of jam rock. That's a lot of weight for one record and, like a lot of pioneering records, Fresh Cream doesn't seem quite as mighty as what would come later, both from the group and its acolytes.

In retrospect, the moments on the LP that are a bit unformed — in particular, the halting waltz of "Dreaming" never achieves the sweet ethereal atmosphere it aspires to — stand out more than the innovations, which have been so thoroughly assimilated into the vocabulary of rock & roll, but Fresh Cream was a remarkable shift forward in rock upon its 1966 release and it remains quite potent. Certainly at this early stage the trio was still grounded heavily in blues, only fitting given guitarist Eric Clapton's stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, which is where he first played with bassist Jack Bruce, but Cream never had the purist bent of Mayall, and not just because they dabbled heavily in psychedelia.

The rhythm section of Bruce and Ginger Baker had a distinct jazzy bent to their beat; this isn't hard and pure, it's spongy and elastic, giving the musicians plenty of room to roam. This fluidity is most apparent on the blues covers that take up nearly half the record, especially on "Spoonful," where the swirling instrumental interplay, echo, fuzz tones, and overwhelming volume constitute true psychedelic music, and also points strongly toward the guitar worship of heavy metal.

Almost all the second side of Fresh Cream is devoted to this, closing with Baker's showcase "Toad," but for as hard and restless as this half of the album is, there is some lightness on the first portion of the record where Bruce reveals himself as an inventive psychedelic pop songwriter with the tense, colorful "N.S.U." and the hook- and harmony-laden "I Feel Free." Cream shows as much force and mastery on these tighter, poppier tunes as they do on the free-flowing jams, yet they show a clear bias toward the long-form blues numbers, which makes sense: they formed to be able to pursue this freedom, which they do so without restraint. If at times that does make the album indulgent or lopsided, this is nevertheless where Cream was feeling their way forward, creating their heavy psychedelic jazz-blues and, in the process, opening the door to all kinds of serious rock music that may have happened without Fresh Cream, but it just would not have happened in the same fashion as it did with this record as precedent.

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Om Mini LP CDs

Bra att veta om dessa CDs: Replica CDs are official audiophile releases manufactured in Japan with incredible attention to detail. CDs made in Japan are revered by collectors and specialists for their very clean sound, production quality, and they are superior in nearly every way to pressings from other countries.The Japanese packaging of classic albums in cardboard sleeve miniature is a wonder to behold. Mini-LP CD albums are like precious stones or perfectly cut diamonds.The superb mastering (often SHM-CD, 20 Bit, 24 Bit, K2, DSD, or HDCD) and resultant sound quality is superior to that of MFSL releases.Replicas are often the nearly exact duplications of the first pressings of the 12" LPs and everything that was present in the original LP may be included such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed CD sleeves, stickers, embosses, special paper or inks, and die cuts.In nearly all replica releases a detail sheet is included, and although the text may be in Japanese, the insert will often include the lyrics in English, which is a big plus if the original LP did not include them. Japan promotional strips, also called OBI, are usually included with the package as a way of advertising the CD to the Japanese buying public.On occasion a replica CD will have bonus tracks included that were part of a later CD release. However, the notes about the bonus tracks are never added to the album artwork, only the promotional strip or the detail sheet. Thus the integrity of the original LP artwork is maintained.Replica CDs are not officially for sale outside Japan, but they are worth the trouble and cost to get them. Replica CDs are expensive in Japan. New releases of replica CDs cost anywhere from $30 to $60 a piece and Japanese law forbids putting "new" CDs on sale or selling at any price other than listed on the Obi (promotional strip).Most replica CDs are manufactured in a limited quantity and sell out quite quickly after release. Because of this replica CDs are splendid keepsakes that hold their value and will likely continue to be items sought by collectors.

About Paper Sleeve CD's

The world of paper Jacquet collected the best of technology that Japan is proud of. Work is not only the music, the stunning artwork of the LP era, which has been talked about with its jacket, original color and form, of course, it has been thoroughly reprinted up to the texture and texture of the paper. Especially from the late 60's and 70's, special specification jacket elaborate stiffness are also many announcement, a perfect reproduction of them with miniaturized is also reminiscent of a miniature garden and elaborate model

Flipback Konvolut

Folding the printed paper itself, pasted-made light jacket. This is called because many have been adopted in the United Kingdom (E). Especially works of 60's, laminated in order to give a gloss on the surface (PP stick) has been there are many. Other, form and the back of the upper and lower has been narrowed down, the margin of bonding there are variations, such as flipback cover.

Utvik Konvolut

Open When the jacket of luxury specifications on the inside, such as photos and lyrics are printed. Because it is similar to the photo of the album, there is a theory that began to call the album LP record for singles. Overseas called gatefold. Front and back, medium surface within bag work of Keefe and hypnosis that was designed (to be described later) in a consistent concept is popular. In addition, 2-Disc LP, etc., open state in the double-jacket that there is a pocket for accommodating the LP to the left or right, but what there is no pocket only one with a single thing called a semi-double jacket, double as their generic name - sometimes referred to as a jacket.

Special Konvolut

That of the jacket with a special design / production process in order to get a personality. It has been originally produced on the basis of a certain standard LP is there, spread and may become like the poster, or attach the 3D (three-dimensional), embossed ( embossing) or the processing, die cut (hollowed out) processing or the, that or use a paper that has been with the textured and pattern, the more attractive for the fans It increases. The box set that was bundled a booklet of materials and bonusand, what made a jacket with a special material.

Special Konvolut

Special Konvolut

Relief Konvolut

Exakta Mini Boxar

"Obi" Fliken

Many are wound on the left side of the jacket, that of paper that describes the artist name and title in Japanese. Put the jacket top there is also a variation such as "covering zone". Japan and it is a unique specification, for the listener is often discarded after the purchase, a band with a valuable record LP is popular with enthusiasts around the world as "with OBI". In recent years, the design has been growing number of cases, which is also reproduced in the paper jacket CD.

EXTRA TILLBEHÖR SOM PÅ ORIGINAL LP'.

BONUS KONVOLUTOriginal and different (different) things jacket using the design. Or if the Publisher of the label in the UK and the US different, especially many in the world release of the mid '60s. The SHM-CD / paper jacket of Universal International, for a Def Jacquet title, has been set as much as possible in the form of "bonus paper jacket".

INNERPÅSEThat of the bag to protect the records that are in the inside jacket. Although often nothing of what print is also not pure white, is designed with a jacket and a similar concept, that such as photos and lyrics are printed is reproduced even paper jacket CD. Other, there is also what is referred to as Company Sleeve which has been used the same general-purpose design and other LP that was released around the same time. The foreign Release LP disc was housed directly in these paper bags, Japanese board LP often are housed in clear plastic bag called Shaw Rex.

LÅTTEXTERGeneric name of the hand, adjunct that is not a bag-shaped. Many have described such as musicians, referred to as the ones that are especially me lyrics and lyrics card. Of course, it is the part that is reproduced in the paper jacket CD.

CD ETIKETTPaper label on the center of the record. Rarely in such singles some of which were the direct printing on PVC material. Artist name, album name, music, music creator, the label name is described, the production process, since the time of jacket printing to others not determined the song order is an important part reveal the recording contents. But usually it is used record company common design, there is also a place that changed the design to the each time as Island Records, become material, even for understanding the issue time of record. In addition, there are also those that are designed with a jacket and a consistent concept. The SHM-CD / paper jacket of Universal International, has this label was two-sided printing (AB surface) "label card" as much as possible inclusion.